Folding leg for tables and the like



July 24, 1962 W. P. DE SAUSSURE FOLDING LEG FOR TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 6, 1960 IN VE NTOR WILL 64/14 F flf 514065014 5 HIS ATTORNEYS 3,046,073 FOLDING LEG FOR TABLES AND THE LIKE William P. De Saussure, Englewood, N.J., assignor to De Saussure Equipment Company, Inc., Maywood, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 60,847 6 Claims. (Cl. 311-98) This invention relates to improvement-s in folding tables of the type used in churches, auditoriums and the like for banquets, dinners, etc., and it relates particularly to improvements in the supports which hold the legs of such folding tables in erected position and enable the legs of the tables to be folded for storage.

While folding tables provided heretofore are constructed to withstand frequent opening and closing, impact and heavy loads, the legs of such tables are frequently damaged by dragging the tables across the floor without lifting them. Very strong bending stresses are exerted on the legs and the supports or braces therefor when the tables are dragged.

In accordance with the present invention, I have provided a new and improved form of folding table leg and a brace therefor which are capable of withstanding the stresses exerted thereon during the use of the tables, moving thereof and folding and unfolding of the legs. Moreover, the leg unit is designed particularly to enable it to be folded easily into a position flat against the underside of the table to facilitate storage of the table.

The brace for the leg is constructed and arranged so the elements thereof reinforce each other and are so related that any force tending to cause the leg to collapse is strongly resisted by the brace. The greater the force applied to the leg, the greater the resistance afforded by the brace to folding of the leg.

The elements of the folding leg unit are simple and sturdy, enabling it to be constructed inexpensively and with a minimum of complicated manufacturing equipment.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a typical table having a folding leg structure embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the table and a portion of one of the legs thereof shown somewhat enlarged and with the leg in its unfolded condition;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the leg in a partially folded position;

FIGURE 4 is a view in section of the leg and a portion of the table looking from a direction opposite to FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a detail of the brace of the leg.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a table of the type to which the present invention relates. It includes a top which may be formed of plywood covered with a protective layer of plastic or other material and suitably reinforced to enable it to withstand the loads and the service conditions under which such tables are used. At each corner of the table is a folding leg unit 11 embodying the present invention. All of the folding leg units are essentially identical and only one of them will be described hereinafter.

As illustrated, each leg unit 11 includes a leg 12 which may be formed of tubular steel or the like and has a plate 13 welded to its upper end and connected by means of a rivet 14 or the like to a vertically disposed flange 15 of an angle iron 16 which is bolted, screwed or otherwise secured to the table top '10. The angle iron 16 may exmed States Patent 0" 3,046,073 Patented July 24, 1962 tend only a part of the length of the table or from end to end of the table if desired.

The leg assembly includes a toggle comprising a link 17 formed of a flat strip of steel or the like which is connected by means of a rivet 18 to about the middle of an angle iron 19. One end of the link 17 is connected by means of a rivet 20 or the like to the leg 12 for pivoting movement relative thereto, and one end of the angle iron 19 is also connected by means of a rivet 21 or the like to the vertical flange 15' of the angle iron 16. As best shown in FIGURE 5, link 17 is disposed on the same side of the angle iron 12 as the laterally extending flange 22 thereon so that when the leg 12 is erected or unfolded, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, one end of the angle iron 19 overlaps the leg 12, and one edge of the link 17 bears against and is supported throughout almost its entire length by the laterally directed flange 22 on the angle iron 19. The link 17 and the vertical flange 19 of the angle iron are in face to face relation throughout most of the length of the link. In this way, the angle iron 19 serves as a brace and also reinforces and stiffens the link 17 thereby forming a very strong support for the leg.

In order to further preclude inadvertent folding of the leg, the rivet 18 may be offset slightly upwardly, as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 4, from the line passing through the centers or axes of the rivets 20 and 21. In this way, when the toggle is straightened as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the rivet 18 is slightly beyond dead center of the toggle and bending stresses tending to fold the leg 12 urge the link 17 more tightly against the flange 22.

A further feature of novelty of the leg assembly is the provision of a laterally bent tooth 23 on the end of the angle iron 19 which snaps over the upper edge of the link 17 as best shown in FIGURE 5 and thereby locks the toggle and the leg '12 against inadvertent folding. However, the locking tooth 23 can be disengaged readily by pulling outwardly and downwardly on the flange 22 of the angle iron as shown in FIGURE 3, thereby collapsing the folding unit 11 and allowing the leg 12 to be stowed against the underside of the table top 10.

From the foregoing disclosure of a typical example of the invention, it will be apparent that the folding leg unit is made up of a few simple, sturdy parts which coact in a novel way to form an exceedingly strong brace for a table leg.

It will be understood that the size of the elements and the materials from which the table top, legs and braces are made can be varied as may be required and depending upon the size and use of the table. Accordingly, the form of the invention disclosed as a specific example should be considered as illustrative.

I claim:

1. A brace for a folding table leg comprising a collapsible and extensible toggle including an angle member and a link pivotally connected to each other, said angle member having angularly-related flanges extending lengthwise thereof for substantially the full length of said angle member, said link being in substantially face-toface relation to one of said flanges and having one end pivotally connected to said one flange about midway of its length, said link having opposite longitudinal edges, one of said longitudinal edges opposing the other flange of said angle member and being engageable with it along the major portion of the length of said link when said toggle is extended, and means on said angle member and said link for releasably retaining said toggle extended.

2. The brace set forth in claim 1 in which the means for releasably retaining said toggle extended comprises a laterally-extending tooth on said one flange of said angle member and engageable with the longitudinal edge 3 of said link opposite from said one longitudinal edge.

3. The brace set forth in claim 1 in Which the angle member and said link have pivotal connections at opposite ends and the axis of the pivotal connection between said link and angle member is offset from a line extending through the axes of the pivotal connections at the ends of said angle member and link to urge said link more tightly into engagement with said other flange when said toggle is extended and is stressed toward collapsed position.

4. A brace for a folding table leg comprising a collapsible and extensible toggle including a link and an angle member pivotally connected to each other, said angle member having substantially right angularly-related flanges extending lengthwise thereof for substantially the full length of said angle member, one of said flanges being disposed in a substantially perpendicular plane and the other flange being disposed below said one flange, said link having one end pivotally attached to said one of said flanges about midway of the length of said angle member and overlying said other flange for engagement therewith along the major portion of the length of said link when said toggle is extended, and cooperating releasable means on said link and angle member for holding said toggle extended.

5. A brace for a folding table leg unit comprising an angle iron having a downwardly-extending flange, an angle member having longitudinally extending, substantially [right angularly-related flanges extending for substantially the full length thereof, means pivotally connesting one end of said angle member to said -down- Wardly-extending flange with one of said flanges of said angle member in a plane substantially parallel with said downwardly-extending flange and the other flange of said angle member at the lower edge of said one flange, and an elongated link having one end pivotally connected about the mid-portion of said one flange of said angle member, said link being movable to a position in which one edge thereof extends lengthwise of and engages said other flange of said angle member throughout the major portion of the length of said link.

6. The brace set forth in claim 5 comprising a laterallyextending tooth at one end of said one flange of said angle member, said tooth being spaced from said other flange on said angle member and being engage-able with the opposite edge of said link from the edge engaging said other flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,660,723 Robineau Feb. 28, 1928 1,747,692 Bellows Feb. 18, 1930 1,785,343 Gilbert Dec. 16, 1930 1,788,102 Gilbert Jan. 6, 1931 1,862,010 Ehrlich June 7, 1932 1,891,734 Slee Dec. 20, 1932 2,075,778 Gohannsen Mar. 30, 1937 2,183,070 Griesedieck Dec. 12, 1939 2,217,992 Pyle Oct. 15, 1940 2,774,643 Gladsden Dec. 18, 1956 

